Barbenheimer

English

Alternative forms

• Barbieheimer, Boppenheimer, Oppenbarbie

Etymology

Blend of Barbie +‎ Oppenheimer. Named after American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑɹbənˌhaɪmər/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Proper noun

Barbie and Oppenheimer listed on the marquee of a two-screen theater.

Barbenheimer

1. (informal, humorous, neologism) The simultaneous theatrical release on July 21, 2023 of two blockbuster films of contrasting genres: Barbie, a fantasy comedy about the eponymous fashion doll, and Oppenheimer, a biographical thriller about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project. [from 2023]
   • 2023 July 19, Claire Moses, “Can I Watch ‘Barbenheimer’ Despite the Hollywood Strikes?”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 July 2023:

     Though unions with workers in digital media or with companies that offer online shopping have invoked the idea of a digital picket line, the actors’ and writers’ unions have not called on consumers to stop watching television and movies on streaming services or to cancel their “Barbenheimer” tickets.

   • 2024 August, Claire Elise Katz, “Introduction”, in In a Barbie World: Barbie as Narrative, Symbol, and Cipher‎^[2], 1st edition, Oxford; New York: Routledge, published 2025, archived from the original on 3 August 2025, pages 3–4:

     So it was with mixed feelings that I purchased a movie ticket and saw Barbie in the theater, one of the many audience members who chose to see Barbie first during the “Barbenheimer” opening weekend.

Coordinate terms

• (Marvel's Avengers Doomsday + Dune, Part III) Dunesday
• (Gladiator II + Wicked, Part I) Glicked